Disposable medical gowns

ABSTRACT

A disposable medical gown includes a front portion, at least one arm portion coupled to and extending from the front portion, at least one side portion coupled to the front portion, and a releasably engageable strap coupled to the at least one side portion. The front portion and the at least one side portion are configured to define a cavity portion of the disposable medical gown. The releasably engageable strap is configured to extend about the at least one side portion and couple to the front portion.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/654,856, filed on Jun. 2, 2012, which is expressly incorporated herein in its entirety by reference thereto.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to disposable medical gowns.

BACKGROUND

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

Disposable medical gowns are infection control products utilized by health care professionals and visitors to control the spread of infectious germs, viruses, diseases, etc. and/or other non-desirable communicable conditions.

When a disposable medical gown is removed from a person, a strap attached to the gown is untied. This allows germs or viruses to engage the clothing of the person based on contact between a person's hand untying the strap and the clothing of the person wearing the gown. Further, untying the strap may expose the clothing of the person wearing the gown to stains based on any medical compounds that are present on the hands, surgical gloves, etc. of the person untying the strap.

SUMMARY

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

Example embodiments of the present disclosure are generally directed toward disposable medical gowns. In one example embodiment, a disposable medical gown includes a front portion, at least one arm portion coupled to and extending from the front portion, at least one side portion coupled to the front portion, and a releasably engageable strap coupled to the disposable medical gown. The front portion and the at least one side portion are configured to define a cavity portion of the disposable medical gown. The releasably engageable strap is configured to extend about the at least one side portion and couple to the front portion.

In another example embodiment, a method of securing a disposable medical gown on a user is disclosed. The disposable medical gown includes a front portion having opposing side edges, two arm portions, two side portions, and a releasably engageable strap coupled to the disposable medical gown. The releasably engageable strap includes an adhesive portion. Each arm portion and each side portion are coupled to an opposing side edge of the front portion. The method includes extending one arm portion of the two arm portions around the one side portion of the disposable medical gown, extending another arm portion of the two arm portions around another one of the two side portions of the disposable medical gown, extending the releasably engageable strap coupled to the one side portion about the other side portion, and coupling the releasably engageable strap to the front portion via the adhesive portion.

In yet another example embodiment, a method of disposing of a disposable medical gown on a user is disclosed. The disposable medical gown includes a front portion having an adhesive portion and opposing side edges, two arm portions, two side portions, and a releasably engageable strap coupled to the disposable medical gown. Each arm portion and each side portion are coupled to an opposing side edge of the front portion. The method includes applying a force to the disposable medical gown to tear one or more perforated portions positioned on the disposable medical gown, rolling/folding the disposable medical gown upon itself, and coupling the adhesive portion of the front portion to the rolled/folded disposable medical gown to secure the rolled/folded disposable medical gown.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a disposable medical gown according to one example embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the disposable medical gown of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the encircled portion of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the disposable medical gown of FIG. 1 on a user.

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the disposable medical gown of FIG. 4 having a releasably engageable strap extending about the user.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the disposable medical gown of FIG. 5 having the releasably engageable strap coupled to the disposable medical gown.

FIG. 7 is the disposable medical gown of FIG. 1 folded/rolled for disposal.

FIG. 8 is a front view of a disposable medical gown according to another example embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a rear view of the disposable medical gown of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the encircled portion of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a rear view of the disposable medical gown of FIG. 8 on a user.

FIG. 12 is a rear view of the disposable medical gown of FIG. 11 having a releasably engageable strap extending about the user.

FIG. 13 is a front view of the disposable medical gown of FIG. 12 having the releasably engageable strap coupled to the disposable medical gown.

FIG. 14 is the disposable medical gown of FIG. 8 folded/rolled for disposal.

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.

When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.

Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

Example embodiments of gowns are provided herein, where the gowns may be used, for example, in medical settings, etc. And, as will be apparent, the teachings of the present disclosure can be implemented in a wide variety of gowns (e.g., disposable gowns, full coverage gowns, over-the-head gowns, etc.). Further, example embodiments of the gowns can be worn by users without tying straps, etc. And still further, example embodiments of the gowns can be easily disposed following removal from users.

A disposable medical gown according to one example embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated in FIGS. 1-7 and indicated generally by reference number 100. The disposable medical gown 100 includes a front portion 102, at least one arm portion coupled to and extending from the front portion 102, at least one side portion coupled to the front portion 102, and a releasably engageable strap 112 coupled to the at least one side portion. The front portion 102 and the at least one side portion is configured to define a cavity portion of the disposable medical gown 100. The releasably engageable strap 112 is configured to extend about the at least one side portion and couple to the front portion 102 without tying (e.g., to close the gown 100 without tying when the gown 100 is worn by a user, etc.). In other example embodiments, gowns can include straps coupled to portions of the gowns other than side portions and/or straps configured to couple to portions of the gowns other than front portions.

In the examples of FIGS. 1-7, the at least one arm portion includes two arm portions 108, 110 and the at least one side portion includes two side portions 104, 106. Each arm portion 108, 110 and each side portion 104, 106 extends from an opposing side edge of the front portion 102.

The arm portions 108, 110 (e.g., sleeves, etc.) are configured to receive a user's arm. Each arm portion 108, 110 includes openings 114 a, 114 b, 116 a, 116 b. Each opening is configured to receive one or more fingers of the user of the disposable medical gown 100 when worn by the user. For example, the openings 114 a, 114 b are configured for one of the user's fingers (e.g., the user's thumb, etc.) and the openings 116 a, 116 b are configured for the user's remaining fingers.

As shown in FIGS. 1-6, the openings 114 a, 116 a and the openings 114 b, 116 b each define a strap 118 a, 118 b which engages each hand of the user in the area between one of the user's fingers (e.g., the user's thumb, etc.) and the user's remaining fingers when the gown 100 is worn by the user. The openings 114 a, 114 b, 116 a, 116 b and the straps 118 a, 118 b give the arm portions 108, 110 a glove-like quality and operate to prevent the arm portions 108, 110 from creeping up the arm of the user. Such features not only operate to make the disposable medical gown 100 more pleasant to wear, but help reduce the spreading of germs, viruses, and the like, by providing substantially complete arm coverage.

The arm portions 108, 110 may further include elastic strips 120, 122 extending along the arm portions 108, 110. The elastic strips 120, 122 are configured to restrict excess material of the arm portions 108, 110. The elastic strips 120, 122 may also prevent the arm portions 108, 110 from creeping up the arm or getting in the way of the user during use of the disposable medical gown 100.

As shown in FIGS. 1-6, the elastic strip 120 is positioned proximate the user's wrist (when the disposable medical gown 100 is worn) while the elastic strip 122 extends along a length of the arm portions 108, 110. The elastic strips 120, 122 may be positioned into the arm portions 108, 110, coupled to the arm portions 108, 110, or otherwise included as part of the gown 100 during manufacturing or alternatively, after manufacturing. Further the elastic strips 120, 122 may be positioned into, coupled to, etc. the arm portions 108, 110 using a heat sealing process, stitching, adhesive, etc.

As shown FIG. 1, the front portion 102 and the arm portions 108, 110 may include impervious pads 124, 126 configured to protect the user from fluids, liquids, etc. that may be present, or may become present in an infection control environment. The impervious pads 124, 126 may be any suitable size and attached to the disposable medical gown 100 in any suitable orientation. Further, the impervious pads 124, 126 may be attached to the disposable medical gown 100 in any suitable manner, including heat sealing processes, stitching, adhesive, etc.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5, in the illustrated embodiment a first end of the releasably engageable strap 112 is coupled to the side portion 106 (although it could be coupled to, formed with, etc. other portions of the gown as desired). In some embodiments (and as further explained below), the first end of the releasably engageable strap 112 may be detachably coupled to the side portion 106. The releasably engageable strap 112 may be coupled (or detachably coupled) to the side portion 106 in any suitable manner, including by a perforated material, a weak seam, a heat seal, stitches, an adhesive, a lightweight elastic band, etc.

Further, in the example embodiment of FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5, the releasably engageable strap 112 is releasably coupled to the arm portion 110. This allows the releasably engageable strap 112 to have a proximate relationship with the arm portion 110 and in turn can provide a user greater ease when securing the disposable medical gown 100 to oneself.

The releasably engageable strap 112 may be coupled to the arm portion 110 via a feeble joint. For example, the feeble joint may include a perforated material, a weak seam, a heat seal, stitches, an adhesive, a lightweight elastic band, etc. This allows a user to apply a force to the feeble joint to release the strap 112 from the arm portion 110 when desired to secure the gown 100 on the user (e.g., releasably couple the strap to the gown without tying the strap 112 to thereby secure the gown 100 on the user, etc.).

In other embodiments, the releasably engageable strap 112 is not coupled to the arm portion 110. Thus, this allows the releasably engageable strap 112 to hang from the side portion 106 of the gown 100, or any other desired portion of the gown 100.

In still other embodiments, the releasably engagement strap 112 may be coupled to other portions of the gown (e.g., a side portion 104, 106, etc.) via a feeble joint.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, in the illustrated embodiment the releasably engageable strap 112 extends about the side portions 104, 106 and couples to the front portion 102 when the gown 100 is closed and worn by a user. In particular, a second end (opposing the first end) of the releasably engageable strap 112 is coupled to the front portion 102 of the gown 100 without tying any portion of the strap 112. The releasably engageable strap 112 may couple to the front portion 102 in any suitable manner, including by a heat seal, an adhesive, a pin (e.g., a safety pin), etc. In the example embodiment of FIG. 6, the releasably engageable strap 112 is coupled to the front portion 102 via an adhesive portion 128. The adhesive portion 128 may include, for example, tape (e.g., one-sided tape, two-sided tape, etc.), glue, VELCRO, epoxy resin, bonding agent, pressure sensitive adhesive, etc.

The releasably engageable strap 112 may include the adhesive portion 128. For example, the adhesive portion 128 may be permanently coupled to the releasably engageable strap 112. In other embodiments, the adhesive portion 128 may be a removable/replaceable adhesive that is coupled to the releasably engageable strap 112. This allows a user to remove the adhesive portion 128 from the strap 112 and then recouple the adhesive portion 128 to the strap 112 in any desirable location. As can be seen, such a fastening system of the strap 112 allows the strap 112 to hold the gown 100 closed around a user and also allows the gown 100 to be worn by various different sizes of users. In other embodiments, the front portion 102 may include an adhesive section to which the releasably engageable strap 112 may be coupled or an adhesive section which works in conjunction with the adhesive portion 128 of the releasably engageable strap 112. For example, the adhesive portion 128 may include VELCRO hooks and the front portion may include a section having VELCRO loops or vice versa.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 6, in the illustrated embodiment the adhesive portion 128 is coupled to a back (or rear) portion of the releasably engageable strap 112. Alternatively, the adhesive portion 128 may be coupled to a front portion of the releasably engageable strap 112. Further, the adhesive portion 128 may be positioned within the releasably engageable strap 112, thus exposing the adhesive portion 128 to the back portion and the front portion of the releasably engageable strap 112. This allows a user to access the adhesive portion 128 from the back portion or the front portion of the releasably engageable strap 112.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7 the front portion 102 may include an adhesive portion 130 configured to secure the disposable medical gown 100 in a folded position, rolled up position, enclosed position, etc. FIG. 7 illustrates the secured gown 100 in the folded position, rolled up position, enclosed position. The adhesive potion 130 may include, for example, tape (e.g., one-sided tape, two-sided tape, etc.) which in certain embodiments may be similar to diaper tape, glue, epoxy resin, bonding agent, pressure sensitive adhesive, VELCRO, etc. In other example embodiments, gowns may include other feature(s) to help secure the gown in a rolled up position such as, for example, heat seals, pins (e.g., safety pins), other mechanical fasteners, etc.

The adhesive portion 130 may be permanently coupled to the front portion 103. In other embodiments, the adhesive portion 130 may be a removable/replaceable adhesive that is coupled to the front portion 102. This allows a user to remove the adhesive from the front portion 102 and then recouple the adhesive portion 130 to the front portion 102 in any desirable location.

The adhesive portion 130 may be coupled to an interior portion of the front portion 102 or to an exterior portion of the front portion 102. Further, the adhesive portion 130 may be positioned within the front portion 102, thus exposing the adhesive portion 130 to the interior portion and the exterior portion of the front portion 102. This allows a user to access the adhesive portion 130 from the interior portion or the exterior portion of the front portion 102.

The disposable medical gown 100 may include one or more perforations located as desired around the gown 100. The perforations may extend through the material from which the gown is fabricated. As further explained below, the perforations are useful in removal of the gown 100.

As shown in FIGS. 2-5, the arm portions 108, 110 may be coupled to an upper rear portion 136 via perforations 134 to allow a user to rip the gown material when removing the gown 100 (e.g., and pull the gown forward, etc.). The length of the perforations 134 may extend less or more than about six inches. In another embodiment, the perforations 134 may extend about three inches in length. In other embodiments, the perforations 134 may extend any suitable distance to allow a user to rip the gown material at the perforations 134 when removing the gown 100. In still other embodiments, gowns may include fasteners in place of upper rear portions to form neck openings in the gowns, where the fasters are configured to break away from the gowns when desired to remove the gowns from users.

Further, as shown FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the releasably engageable strap 112 of the illustrated embodiment may be coupled to the side portion 106 via perforations 132 to allow a user to rip the gown material when removing the gown 100. Thus, the releasably engageable strap 112 may be detachably coupled to the side portion 106. The length of the perforations 132 may extend less or more than about three inches. In another embodiment, the perforations 132 may extend about 2 inches in length. In other embodiments, the perforations 132 may extend any suitable distance to allow a user to rip the gown material at the perforations 132 when removing the gown 100. Alternatively, the releasably engageable strap 112 may be detachably coupled to the side portion 106 by a weak seam, a heat seal, an adhesive, etc.

The disposable medical gown 100 may be an over the head disposable medical gown. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1-6, the front portion 102, the upper rear portion 136 and the arm portions 108, 110 define an opening 138 configured to receive a user's head. The opening 138 may be substantially circular, substantially oval shaped or any other suitable shape to receive a user's head. Further, the opening 138 may be entirely enclosed, substantially enclosed, partially enclosed, etc.

Further, the illustrated disposable medical gown 100 is a partial coverage disposable medical gown. That is, when in use, the gown 100 does not extend entirely around the backside of a user. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the side portions 104, 106 extend about the backside of the user. However, the side portions 104, 106 do not touch, overlap, etc.

FIGS. 8-14 illustrate another example embodiment of a disposable medical gown 200. The disposable medical gown 200 includes a front portion 202, two arm portions 208, 210 coupled to and extending from the front portion 202, two side portions 204, 206 coupled to the front portion 202, upper rear portions 236 a, b, and a first end of a releasably engageable strap 212 coupled to the front portion 202 (although it could be coupled to any other desired portion of the gown 200 within the scope of the present disclosure). The front portion 202 and the side portions 204, 206 are configured to define a cavity portion of the disposable medical gown 200 for a user.

Similar to the disposable medical gown 100, the disposable medical gown 200 may be an over the head disposable medical gown. For example, as shown in FIGS. 7-13, the front portion 202, the arm portions 208, 210, the side portions 204, 206 and the upper rear portions 236 a, b, define an opening 238 configured to receive a user's head. The opening 238 may be substantially circular, substantially oval shaped or any other suitable shape to receive a user's head. Further, the opening 238 may be entirely enclosed, substantially enclosed, partially enclosed, etc.

Further, the illustrated disposable medical gown 200 is a full coverage disposable medical gown. That is, when in use, the gown 200 extends substantially entirely around the backside of a user substantially enclosing the cavity portion of the disposable medical gown 200. For example, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the side portions 204, 206 may extend substantially entirely about the backside of the user. Thus, the side portions 204, 206 may touch, overlap, form a seam, etc. to provide the full coverage for the user of the gown 200.

In the example embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 9-12, an edge of the side portion 204 and edge of the side portion 206 are coupled to form a seam 240, thus entirely enclosing the cavity portion of the disposable medical gown 200 around a user. Alternatively, the disposable medical gown 200 may extend substantially entirely around the backside of the user, substantially around the sides of the user, etc. Further, in other example embodiments, edges of side portions of gowns may wrap around and overlap when the gowns are worn by users.

Further, the illustrated disposable medical gown 200 may include one or more perforations. The perforations may extend through the material from which the gown is fabricated. As further explained below, the perforations are useful in removal of the gown 200. The perforations may be positioned at any suitable location including, for example, along the seam 240 and between the arm portions 208, 210, side portions 204, 206 and/or front portion 202, etc. Alternatively, the disposable medical gown 200 may include any suitable feature to assist in removal of the gown 200, including a weak seam, a heat seal, an adhesive, detachable fasteners, breakaway fasteners, etc.

In the example embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 9-12, the arm portions 208, 210 and/or the side portions 204, 206 may be coupled to the upper rear portions 236 a, b via perforations 234 to allow a user to rip the gown material when removing the gown 200. The length of the perforations 234 may extend less or more than about six inches. In another embodiment, the perforations 234 may extend about three inches in length. In other embodiments, the perforations 234 may extend any suitable distance to allow a user to rip the gown material at the perforations 234 when removing the gown 200.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 13, the first end of the releasably engageable strap 212 is coupled to the front portion 202 (although it could be coupled to another portion of the gown 200 as desired). In some embodiments, the first end of the releasably engageable strap 112 may be detachably coupled to the front portion 202. The releasably engageable strap 212 may be coupled (or detachably coupled) to the front portion 202 in any suitable manner, including by a perforated material, a weak seam, a heat seal, stitches, an adhesive, a lightweight elastic band, etc.

Further, the releasably engageable strap 212 may be coupled to the front portion 210 for a desired distance. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the releasably engageable strap 212 is coupled to the front portion 202 from a center of the front portion 202 to an edge of the front portion 202 (e.g., adjacent to the side portion 206, etc.). This feature causes the releasably engageable strap 212 to maintain a substantially horizontal direction about the front portion 202. This provides a user greater ease when securing the disposable medical gown 200 to oneself.

Alternatively, the releasably engageable strap 212 may be coupled to the gown 200 at any suitable location, including only at the center of the front portion 202, only at the edge of the front portion 202 (e.g., adjacent to the side portion 206), on the side portions 204, 206, etc.

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the releasably engageable strap 212 extends about the side portions 204, 206 and couples, without tying, to the front portion 202 when used to secure the gown 200 around a user (although the strap 212 may be coupled to another portion of the gown 200, other than the front portion 202, to secure the gown 200 around a user as desired). In particular, a second end (opposing the first end) of the releasably engageable strap 212 in the illustrated embodiment is coupled to the front portion 202 without tying the strap 212. The releasably engageable strap 212 may couple to the front portion 202 in any suitable manner including by a heat seal, an adhesive, a pin (e.g., a safety pin), etc. In the example of FIG. 13, the releasably engageable strap 212 is coupled to the front portion 202 via the adhesive portion 128 (as previously described).

Each arm portion 208, 210 (e.g., sleeves) may include the elastic strip 120, the elastic strip 122, the impervious pad 126, openings 114 a, 114 b, 116 a, 116 b and straps 118 a, 118 b as described above with reference to FIGS. 1-7. Further, the front portion 202 may include the impervious pad 124 and the adhesive 130 as described above with reference to FIGS. 1-7. In addition, as shown in FIG. 14, the adhesive 130 (as described with reference to FIGS. 1-7) may also be employed to secure the gown 200 in the folded position, rolled up position, enclosed position, etc. upon removal from a user.

The disposable medical gowns (e.g., gown 100, 200) described herein may be secured on a user without the need for tying the straps (e.g., straps 112, 212, etc.) of the gown. This can make securing the gowns around the users easier, and can help inhibit possible contamination of the users and/or gowns when securing them.

For example, to wear an example gown (e.g., gown 100, 200, etc.) of the present disclosure, the user inserts his/her head within the opening (e.g., the opening 138, 238, etc.) and his/her arms into the arm portions (e.g., the arm portions 108, 110, 208, 210). The user may utilize the openings (e.g., the openings 114 a, 114 b, 116 a, 116 b) of the arm portions by inserting his/her fingers in the openings if desired.

Then the user extends one of his/her arms (within the arm portion) around one of the side portions (e.g., side portions 104, 106, 204, 206) to a rear portion of the gown. The user then may extend the other of his/her arms (within the arm portion) around the other one of the side portions to the rear of the gown. This allows the side portions of the gown to extend about and substantially cover the rear portion of the user.

The user then may position the releasably engageable strap (e.g., the releasably engageable straps 112, 212) about the side portions of the gown to position the gown around the user. Depending on the gown design, the first end of the releasably engageable strap may be coupled to a front portion of the gown, a side portion of the gown, etc. For example, the user may extend the releasably engageable strap with one arm to a rear portion of the gown and then extend the releasably engageable strap with the other arm to a front portion (e.g., the front portion 102, 202) of the gown. Thus, in some embodiments, the releasably engageable strap may extend entirely around the rear portion of the user.

The user then may couple the second end (opposing the first end) of the releasably engageable strap to any desired portion of the gown so that the gown fits comfortably around the user (e.g., the front portion of the gown, etc.). Alternatively, and depending on the user, the second end of the releasably engageable strap may couple to one of the side portions of the gown, the rear portion of the gown, etc. (again, depending on the size of the user and so that the gown comfortably fits around the user).

The second end of the releasably engageable strap may couple to the front portion via an adhesive portion (e.g., the adhesive portion 128) or by any other suitable means (e.g., any of the means discussed herein, etc.).

By employing the releasably engageable strap, the user may secure the gown to oneself with ease, without assistance from other individuals, without tying the strap, etc. This is essential if the user has already scrubbed, disinfected, etc. oneself and the gown is sterile. Accordingly, by securing the gown by oneself, the spread of germs, bacterial, etc. between the user and the other individuals is reduced.

In addition, the disposable medical gowns (e.g., the gowns 100, 200) described herein may be disposed (e.g., removed) from a user. The user may apply a force to the disposable medical gown to tear, rip, disengage, etc. one or more portions of the disposable medical gown. For example, the force may be applied adjacent a portion of the gown that may include a feeble area. The feeble area may include one or more perforated portions, a weak seam, a heat seal, an adhesive, stitches, a lightweight elastic band, etc. By applying force to the feeble area, the user is able to remove the gown without forcefully pulling, shaking, etc. the gown. Thus, less germs, bacterial, etc. are extracted from the gown, and injuries to users may be avoided.

After removing the gown, the user then may roll, fold, etc. the gown upon itself. This ensures germs, bacterial, etc. are maintained within the rolled, folded, etc. gown.

The rolled, folded, etc. gown may then be secured in this position to ensure the germs, the bacterial, etc. are maintained after the gown is rolled, folded, etc. For example, the gown may be secured in this position by an adhesive portion (e.g., the adhesive portion 130) or any other suitable means (e.g., any of the means discussed herein, etc.). If an adhesive portion is employed, a two-sided tape may be coupled on one side to the front portion (e.g., the front portions 102, 202) of the gown prior to removal of the gown and coupled on another side to the rolled, folded, etc. gown after removal of the gown. In the example of FIGS. 7 and 14, the gowns 100, 200, respectively, are rolled, folded, etc. and secured by the adhesive portion 130.

By having the gown in the rolled, folded, etc. upon itself and then secured in this position, the user may dispose of the gown in a safe manner without the threat of spreading germs, bacterial, etc. For example, the user may dispose of the gown in a disposable gown system. The disposable gown system may include a container having a lid. The user may open the lid and insert the rolled, folded, etc. gown into the container. After insertion, the disposable gown system may individually seal each rolled, folded, etc. gown in a film, bag, etc. to ensure the germs, the bacterial, etc. are maintained. Alternatively, the disposable gown system may seal more than one rolled, folded, etc. gown in a film, bag, etc. to ensure the germs, the bacterial, etc. are maintained.

The disposable medical gowns (e.g., the gowns 100, 200) disclosed herein may be folded and placed into a disposable gown dispensing system. Example configurations and embodiments of gown folding methods and of disposable gown dispensing systems are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/660,787 (filed on Oct. 25, 2012), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Further, the disposable gown dispensing system may be attached to a personal protection equipment (PPE) dispenser. Example configurations and further embodiments of PPE dispensers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,246,710 and U.S. Publication Number 2011/0279001, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Further, the disposable medical gowns disclosed herein may be made from any suitable thermoplastic polymer, including polypropylene, polypropylene with a polyethylene coating, etc. In other embodiments, the disposable medical gowns may utilize spunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) materials.

Additionally, the disposable medical gowns disclosed herein may be formed monolithically with a front portion (e.g., the front portions 102, 202), at least one side portion (e.g., the side portions 104, 106, 204, 206), at least one arm portion (e.g., the arm portions 108, 110, 208, 210) and a releasably engageable strap (e.g., the straps 112, 212). Alternatively, some or all portions (including the releasably engageable strap) of the disposable medical gown may be formed individually and coupled together to form the disposable medical gown. The portions may be coupled together in any suitable manner, including by a perforated material, a weak seam, a heat seal, an adhesive, stitches, a lightweight elastic band, etc.

In addition, the disposable medical gowns disclosed herein, including the front portions, the side portions, the arm portions and the releasably engageable straps, may be any suitable size, dimension, length, etc.

Further, the disposable medical gowns disclosed herein may include the characteristics, features and/or configurations as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,971,274, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A disposable medical gown comprising a front portion, at least one arm portion coupled to and extending from the front portion, at least one side portion coupled to the front portion, the front portion and the at least one side portion configured to define a cavity portion of the disposable medical gown, and a releasably engageable strap coupled to the disposable medical gown, the releasably engageable strap configured to extend about the at least one side portion and couple to a portion of the gown without tying.
 2. The disposable medical gown of claim 1 wherein the front portion includes a first edge and a second edge opposing the first edge, wherein the at least one arm portion is a first arm portion extending from the first edge of the front portion, the disposable medical gown further comprising a second arm portion coupled to and extending from the second edge of the front portion.
 3. The disposable medical gown of claim 1 wherein the front portion includes a first edge and a second edge opposing the first edge, wherein the at least one side portion is a first side portion extending from the first edge of the front portion, the disposable medical gown further comprising a second side portion coupled to and extending from the second edge of the front portion.
 4. The disposable medical gown of claim 1 wherein the disposable medical gown is an over the head disposable medical gown
 5. The disposable medical gown of claim 1 wherein the disposable medical gown is a full coverage disposable medical gown.
 6. The disposable medical gown of claim 1 wherein the disposable medical gown is a partial coverage disposable medical gown.
 7. The disposable medical gown of claim 6 wherein the releasably engageable strap is releasably coupled to the at least one arm portion.
 8. The disposable medical gown of claim 1 wherein the disposable medical gown includes one or more perforations.
 9. The disposable medical gown of claim 1 wherein the releasably engageable strap is detachably coupled to the disposable medical gown.
 10. The disposable medical gown of claim 1 wherein the at least one arm portion includes an elastic strip configured to restrict excess material of the at least one arm portion.
 11. The disposable medical gown of claim 1 wherein the at least one arm portion includes a plurality of openings, each opening configured to receive one or more fingers of a user of the disposable medical gown.
 12. The disposable medical gown of claim 1 wherein the disposable medical gown includes an impervious pad configured to substantially protect a user of the disposable medical gown.
 13. The disposable medical gown of claim 1 wherein the disposable medical gown is formed monolithically with the front portion, the at least one side portion, the at least one arm portion and the releasably engageable strap.
 14. The disposable medical gown of claim 1 further comprising a first adhesive portion coupled to the releasably engageable strap, the first adhesive portion configured to couple the releasably engageable strap to the front portion of the disposable medical gown.
 15. The disposable medical gown of claim 14 wherein the adhesive portion comprises one of a VELCRO or tape section.
 16. The disposable medical gown of claim 1 further comprising a second adhesive portion coupled to the front portion, the second adhesive portion configured to secure the disposable medical gown in a folded position.
 17. A method of securing a disposable medical gown on a user, the disposable medical gown including a front portion having opposing side edges, two arm portions, two side portions, each arm portion and each side portion coupled to an opposing side edge of the front portion, and a releasably engageable strap coupled to the disposable medical gown, the releasably engageable strap including an adhesive portion, the method comprising: (a) extending one arm portion of the two arm portions around the one side portion of the disposable medical gown, (b) extending another arm portion of the two arm portions around another one of the two side portions of the disposable medical gown, (c) extending the releasably engageable strap coupled to the disposable medical gown about the side portions, and (d) coupling the releasably engageable strap to the front portion via the adhesive portion.
 18. The method of claim 17 wherein extending the arm portions around the side portions substantially covers a rear portion of the user with the side portions.
 19. A method of disposing of a disposable medical gown on a user, the disposable medical gown including a front portion including an adhesive portion and having opposing side edges, two arm portions, two side portions, each arm portion and each side portion coupled to an opposing side edge of the front portion, and a releasably engageable strap coupled to the disposable medical gown, the method comprising: (a) applying a force to the disposable medical gown to tear one or more perforated portions positioned on the disposable medical gown (b) rolling/folding the disposable medical gown upon itself, and (c) coupling the adhesive portion of the front portion to the rolled/folded disposable medical gown to secure the rolled/folded disposable medical gown.
 20. The method of claim 19 wherein the adhesive portion is positioned on an interior side of the front portion. 